Maternity & Parental Leave Australia 2026 — 26 Weeks Paid + Income Test

From 1 July 2026, eligible parents can access up to 26 weeks (130 days) of government-funded Paid Parental Leave. This represents the full expansion of the PPL scheme, which has been progressively increased from the original 18 weeks (introduced in 2011) through a series of reforms. The scheme provides payments at the national minimum wage rate (currently $948.10 per week before tax as of January 2026).

The 26 weeks can be shared between both parents in any combination, providing significant flexibility for families to decide how to allocate the leave. Each parent can take their portion in a continuous block or in flexible periods (individual days or weeks) up until the child turns 2 years old.

The short answer? There is a 'use it or lose it' component: from 1 July 2026, 4 weeks (20 days) are reserved for the partner, encouraging both parents to take leave. Single parents can access the full 26 weeks.

The PPL is paid by Services Australia (Centrelink) and is taxable income, but it does not affect your employer's obligation to provide unpaid parental leave under the Fair Work Act.

Your employer may also offer additional paid parental leave on top of the government scheme — check your enterprise agreement or employment contract.

To be eligible for the government PPL, you must meet a work test and an income test. The income test for PPL claims from 1 July 2025 requires that the claimant's individual adjusted taxable income be $168,865 or less in the financial year before the claim, or the date of birth/adoption of the child. There's also a family income test of $368,865 that applies if the individual income test isn't met.

The work test requires you to have worked for at least 10 of the 13 months before the birth or adoption, and for at least 330 hours in that 10-month period (equivalent to roughly one day per week). Work includes employment, self-employment, and certain types of contracting.

If you don't meet the standard work test, you may meet the 'work test extension' if you had pregnancy-related complications or the birth was premature. Eligibility also requires that you're an Australian resident or hold an eligible visa, you are the primary carer of the child, and you're on leave from work or not working during the PPL period.

Both parents can claim PPL if they both meet the eligibility criteria — the 26 weeks is shared between them.

Use our Take Home Pay Calculator to understand the after-tax value of PPL payments at the minimum wage rate.

Separately from the government PPL scheme, the Fair Work Act provides all eligible employees with a right to up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave, with a right to request an additional 12 months (total of 24 months). To be eligible for unpaid parental leave, you must have completed at least 12 months of continuous service with your employer. Casual employees must have been employed on a regular and systematic basis for 12 months and have a reasonable expectation of continuing employment.

Quick version: Your employer cannot refuse the initial 12 months of unpaid leave if you meet the eligibility criteria. For the second 12 months, your employer can refuse on reasonable business grounds, but must provide written reasons.

During unpaid parental leave, your employment is continuous — your leave counts towards your period of service for the purposes of accruing long service leave and other service-based entitlements. Your employer must not terminate your employment because you're on parental leave, or because you're pregnant, or because you've parental responsibilities. Doing so would constitute adverse action and a breach of the general protections provisions of the Fair Work Act, exposing the employer to significant penalties. Your position (or an equivalent position) must be available for you when you return from leave.

While on unpaid parental leave, you can work up to 10 'keeping in touch' (KIT) days without ending your leave period. KIT days are designed to help you stay connected with your workplace, attend training, or ease your transition back to work. Both you and your employer must agree to the KIT day — neither party can require it.

You must be paid at least your base rate of pay for any KIT day worked. Important rules about KIT days: you cannot work a KIT day within 14 days of the birth or adoption (this is a protected period); each KIT day counts as a separate day even if you only work part of the day; and KIT days do not extend your leave period — they're worked within the existing leave period.

Common uses for KIT days include attending team meetings or planning sessions, completing mandatory training or professional development, attending work social events to stay connected, and gradually returning to work in the final weeks of leave. KIT days are also available to employees receiving government PPL — using a KIT day doesn't affect your PPL payments for that day, provided you follow the Services Australia rules about reporting income. Discuss KIT day arrangements with your employer before your leave begins so that expectations are clear on both sides.

In a landmark reform, the government announced that superannuation will be paid on government-funded Paid Parental Leave payments from 1 July 2025. This addresses a long-standing inequity where the gender super gap was exacerbated by women receiving no super during their PPL period. Under the new arrangement, the government pays the superannuation guarantee (currently 12%) on top of PPL payments directly into the recipient's nominated super fund.

For 26 weeks of PPL at the minimum wage, this adds approximately $2,857 in super contributions. The super is paid at the same rate that applies to ordinary employment — 12% of the PPL payment amount.

You do not need to do anything to receive super on PPL — it's paid automatically based on the super fund details you provide to Services Australia. If you are also receiving employer-funded paid parental leave on top of the government scheme, your employer must continue to pay super on their paid parental leave payments as they would for any other form of paid leave. If your employer isn't paying super on their paid parental leave, this may constitute a breach of the superannuation guarantee. Use our Superannuation Calculator to check that your super contributions are correct during your parental leave period.

When you return from parental leave, you have the right to return to the position you held before the leave, or if that position no longer exists, to an available position for which you're qualified and suited, at the same or substantially similar terms and conditions. Your employer cannot reduce your pay, demote you, change your hours without your consent, or otherwise disadvantage you because you took parental leave. If your employer does any of these things, it may constitute adverse action under the general protections provisions of the Fair Work Act.

You also have the right to request flexible working arrangements on your return — for example, reduced hours, different start/finish times, or working from home. Under section 65 of the Fair Work Act, parents of school-age or younger children are eligible to request flexible work, and employers can only refuse on reasonable business grounds (with a right to appeal to the FWC if refused).

When planning your return, give your employer at least 4 weeks' written notice of your intended return date. If you want to return earlier than originally planned, you need to give 4 weeks' notice. If you decide not to return to work at all, you should resign in the usual way, giving the notice period required by your contract or award. Use our Leave Entitlements Calculator to check your accrued leave balance on return, and our Notice Period Calculator if you're considering resignation (more on this below).